US reaches decision on Syria pullout
The White House said Wednesday that the US military mission in Syria was ‘coming to a rapid end’ but indicated no timetable for a withdrawal.
Days after President Donald Trump shocked aides and allies by declaring that the roughly 2,000 troops helping combat the Islamic State group would be coming home soon, the White House scotched talk of a precipitous withdrawal.
After a meeting Tuesday between Trump and his national security team, the White House said that the battle against the Islamic State group was almost over, but not quite.
‘The military mission to eradicate ISIS in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with ISIS being almost completely destroyed.’
‘The United States and our partners remain committed to eliminating the small ISIS presence in Syria that our forces have not already eradicated.’
Estimates about the number of jihadis remaining around the Syria-Iraq border range from a couple of hundred to the tens of thousands.
They are being fought by disparate groups of Kurdish and Syrian opposition fighters, with some US and coalition support.
More from Defence Notes
-
![US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps]()
US, Canada advance with over-the-horizon radar programmes to close NORAD surveillance gaps
Washington and Ottawa’s Arctic and homeland radar initiatives aim to strengthen early warning against cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and long-range aerospace threats approaching North America.
-
![The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement]()
The speed of relevance: how companies can navigate the new era of European defence procurement
European militaries face a rapidly evolving security landscape and defence production must accelerate to meet surging demand for platforms and equipment. Industry needs to adapt to ensure it gets its products into the hands of the end user, Evelyn Rafferty, Senior Director Aerospace and Defence - Europe at Plexus told Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan.
-
![Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP]()
Delays, departures and drama cloud UK defence programmes ahead of absent DIP
The UK defence secretary’s departure suggests that the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan is unlikely to meet the funding demands of the armed forces, with consequences for procurement and the UK’s standing at a NATO summit weeks away.
